Meeting of the Steering Committee
The annual meeting of the Steering Committee of our project took place on November 29th at the headquarters of the Świętokrzyskie and Nadnidziadzkie Landscape Parks Complex. It was an opportunity to summarize the works carried out in 2017. It was presented by Wojciech Sołtysiak – LIFE Project Manager. The participants of the meeting also listened to three scientific presentations regarding Ponidzie.
Ponidzie xerothermic turfs are a very rich accumulation and many of the plant species present there have therapeutic value. The lecture „Utility characteristics of xerothermic habitat plants” was given by Prof. Małgorzata Jankowska – Błaszczuk, PhD, from the Institute of Biology of the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce. The healing properties of the pheasant’s eye, which is used to prevent hypertension, are commonly known, and lemon thyme has been used since ancient times as a seasoning for meat and its disinfecting, antibacterial and expectorant effect has been well known. However, many other plants present in Ponidzie also have medicinal properties: asparagus, golden flax, yarrow, stiff hedgenettle, wild basil and yellow chamomile – these are just some of them.
The next lecture was given by Prof. Janusz Łuszczyński, PhD, from the Institute of Biology of the Jan Kochanowski University. He has given the presentation „Mushrooms of xerothermic turf and thermophilous oak forest in Ponidzie and in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains”. It turns out that in thermophilous oak tree forests, which are the floristically richest type of forest, there are also many species of mushrooms. As a result of the research, even species previously unknown from Poland were discovered, such as Bovista limosa – a fungus, which does not even have a Polish name. On the basis of the observation of the flocks grazed in Młodzawy, it can be stated that our sheep eagerly eat mushrooms, which they treat as a variety of their diet.
The meeting of the Steering Committee was concluded with a presentation by Andrzej Junkuszew, PhD, from the Sub-Department of Small Ruminant Breeding and Professor T. Efner Research Station from the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, entitled „Welfare of grazed animals in Ponidzie”. It was an initial discussion of the research conducted by the team headed by Prof. Tomasz Gruszecki, PhD. It covered sheep grazed in Młodzawy and Stawiany. The flocks assessment was very good. The animals are healthy and in good physical and mental condition. This means that flocks are cared for properly. This assessment was welcomed by our flock keepers, who also participated in the meeting.
